Light emitting devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), are widely used in consumer applications. Generally, one or more LED dies or chips are mounted within an LED package, which can include a packaging material with metal leads (i.e., connected to the LED dies from outside circuits). To differentiate the polarity of the metal leads, an electrode mark is often provided on the packaging material to identify one or both of the positive electrode terminal (e.g., anode) or the negative electrode terminal (e.g., cathode). For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, an LED package 10 can comprise one or more LEDs 12 connected to a first lead 14 and a second lead 16. A plastic or other type package 18 can be provided to surround and protect LEDs 12. A cutout, notch, or other electrode mark, generally designated 20, can identify the one of first or second leads 14 or 16 nearest to the mark as being the positive or negative electrode terminal.
Unfortunately, however, these electrode marks can limit the available optic area of the LED package, and thus can present an impediment to maximizing the brightness of the package. Some manufacturers have attempted to limit this impediment by making one or two small electrode marks on the package corner, but even these small marks can still limit the optic area. In addition, small marks can be difficult to identify, thereby at least partially defeating the purpose for which the marks are added. As a result, detection systems having greater precision and/or higher magnification need to be used to identify the polarity of devices using such marks.
Thus, despite availability of various light emitting devices and packages, a need remains for further solutions for identifying electrodes and also for producing brighter devices. In one aspect, brighter devices can be achieved by reducing the occurrence of defects during encapsulation of the devices. Light emitting devices, packages and related methods described herein can advantageously enhance light output performance while promoting ease of manufacture.